Brown Applauds Federal Court Ruling Stopping Trump-LaRose Voter Purge Scheme

Washington, DC – A federal judge has halted the Trump Administration’s effort to purge eligible voters using the faulty Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system and a federal database of private voter registration data wrongly handed over by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and other states.  Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) applauds the ruling. 

The U.S. District Court ruling cited the known problems with the SAVE system, examples of citizens having their voter registration wrongly purged, and the ways in which the SAVE system violates federal privacy laws.  

“I applaud this federal ruling which vindicates the very concerns we raised with the Secretary of State just weeks ago. Trump is trying to take over elections and use every tool he has to purge voters. Using the faulty SAVE system and placing sensitive voter information in the hands of Trump operatives is a recipe for disaster. Trump can’t paint a reflecting pool but we’re handing him the Social Security numbers of millions of Ohioans? Ohio voters deserve leaders that put their rights first, not do whatever Trump says. A federal election is just months away and we cannot let Trump and LaRose meddle in our free and fair elections,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown. 

In May, Congresswoman Brown led a letter to Ohio Secretary of State LaRose, noting that while numerous Democratic and Republican-led states had refused to willingly share sensitive voter data, Ohio participated in this reckless effort. Brown wrote, “federal courts have repeatedly ruled that the DOJ has no right to demand this information or states’ complete voter registration lists. Transferring this data goes far beyond publicly available information and exposes Ohioans to unnecessary risks, including misuse, unauthorized access, leaks, and identity theft, without any clear safeguards or accountability.”

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